hallo everyone! I am very glad to have the opportunity to share with you how I found the Quan Yin Method and received initiation. In Formosa (Taiwan), Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism are very popular. I believe some of our guests here must have had similar experiences as me. Or, among your relatives and friends, some could be already practicing or looking for an enlightened master unknowingly.


A famous master who doesn't tell people's fortunes once told me that I would have a short life, so I should try to earn more merits, release captive animals and give more to charities in order to increase my blessed rewards and lengthen my life, to help me to live longer. Moreover, there was a spiritual practitioner who was good at fortunetelling and knew about "The Book of Changes" and "The Eight Diagrams," but he refused to tell me my future.


Instead, he told me that I had very heavy bad karma (retribution) and should recite Buddha's names more. When I was a child, I went to church because they had biscuits and candies; I can't remember whether it was a Catholic or Protestant church. In junior high school, a teacher gave me a copy of the Bible because I had helped at my school. Later, another teacher also gave me a gift, also another Bible.


Then I realized that there are two Bibles, "The New Testament" and "The Old Testament." I couldn't understand it at that time. Just to get it over with, I read the passages, pretending they were fairy tales. My mother often went to worship at the Emperor Guan Temple to pray for safety and for our whole family. We kids also went along for fun. In the temple they worshipped Lord Guan, Confucius, and Quan Yin Bodhisattva.


Following the local tradition, our family also learnt how to worship them. I left school at 19 and stayed with a colleague in one room. She meditated every morning and evening, chanting the "White Robe Mahasattva Mantra." It is said that one's wishes and ideals will come true if one chants it enough times.


Since then, I started to recite my first mantra. At that time in Taichung there was a householder practitioner, Professor Li Bing-nan, who was very advanced in spiritual practice. It was said that he was going to pass away soon. During that time, my friends and I attended every lecture given by Professor Li. We didn't even miss his poetry class at the National Chung Hsing University.

I attended them just because people would say that our wisdom and merit would grow by listening to the lectures given by a good spiritual practitioner. From then on, I also began to learn about Buddhist etiquette, prostrating to and worshipping Buddha.


I started to join Buddhist chanting and meditation sessions. Although it was only a few times, each time I heard people chant Buddha's name together, I was always moved to tears. I didn't know the reason then. I thought I was a person with heavy bad karma (retribution).


Why would I cry? Could it be the blessing from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to clean my bad karma (retribution) with tears? When I was in junior college, one of my classmates was a vegan. She never discussed our schoolwork with me but just imbued my mind with doctrines. When I had free time, I held prayer beads in my hand and would chant Amitabha Buddha or Quan Yin Bodhisattva so I could become smarter and wiser.


She told me that, originally, all religions were from the same source, without denomination. The purpose of worshipping Shakyamuni Buddha, Lao Tzu, Confucius, Jesus Christ, etc., was actually to seekthe supreme teachings from an enlightened master.

For example, we humans have two or three kinds of actions. One kind is action that you are aware of. We do things consciously with our mind. Another kind is unconscious action.


What is conscious action? It is when we do things with a clear awareness For instance, now I am opening this thing deliberately and want to see what's inside. Fruits. Now I know. This is a deliberate action. Or, I deliberately drink water or look at your eyes, wipe my face, all these are deliberate actions that I am clearly aware of.


I know I am doing them. There are actions that we are unaware of. For instance, when we are sleeping, we may roll about. Isn't that right? Who is moving? Ourselves. But we are not aware of it. Or when we sit here sleeping, we may snore. Right? Snoring. We are not even aware that we are snoring.


These are unconscious actions. Such unconscious actions are also our actions; they are also generated by our subconsciousness.


There is no other person rolling us on the bed. There is no other person snoring for us either. Similarly, there is another kind of action, the third kind, which is even invisible to outside people. Suppose we snore and are not aware of it, but other people know.


There is another kind of invisible action that even other people cannot see. It is inside the Tathāgatagarbha, which we call “Buddha Nature.” If we can unearth it for our use, it will be superior to the first and second kinds of actions. If we can accept that we have a kind of unconscious action, we should be able to accept that there are sub-unconscious actions, which we call actions of the Buddha Nature.


This is very logical. We don't even understand what we are doing during our sleep. There is another kind of action that is even more difficult to understand, which is called wisdom, Buddha Nature, or heavenly quality, or the Tao.


If we are aware of this “thing,” we can control it, we can take it out to serve our daily life and bring us to a realm we want. There are many things that we do not know. The first kind of action is what I call “conscious action.” The second kind is “unconscious action,” which includes our heartbeat, our automatic liver function, or our automatic blood circulation. Do you think that your heart beats automatically?


We can control our heart. We think we cannot stop our heartbeat. We can! Many yogis can stop their heartbeat if they want to. We think we cannot control our breath. Isn't that right? We breathe naturally. No, we can also control it.


After practice, many people can stop their breath at will. Who stops their breath? Who? The person himself! Right. Who stops his heartbeat for him? It's also the person himself. What does that mean? That means we have a lot of automatic actions that are done naturally through our subconscious, without us ever knowing. This gives us a little bit of hope. Hope for what? That we can find a more profound power that is beyond the subconscious.


 If we can control our heartbeat… We shouldn't control it either. I mean, some people can control it. So it's also up to us and controllable by us whether the heart beats or not. Do not think that it is a natural phenomenon. It is we ourselves that control our heartbeat. That is why some people can find a way to consciously stop their breath or heartbeat for a while. This makes us think that we have a lot of talent that we are unaware of.


There is a kind of superior power, we can call it a dormant power. It is more subtle than our heartbeat, breath, and circulation. Some people can dig it out for their use. We call them great saints, great spiritual practitioners, great enlightened beings, or saviors, who come to save the world, such as Jesus Christ, Shakyamuni Buddha, Lao Tzu, Socrates, and other past masters.


These past masters looked just like us. They also had a nose, whether a flat or a tall nose, it doesn't matter. One nose and two eyes, which could have been eyes like this, or very big eyes. They were exactly like us. So how come they were enlightened? It is because they could control their so-called dormant and sub-unconscious  power and actions.


Like ancient people, modern people can of course do it also. What's the use of these sub-unconscious power and actions? It is useful in many ways. It makes us free, and we suffer less and able to help the suffering people in this world.


For example, we have a power to manifest innumerable transcendental bodies. We can do this. We can unearth this power and use our own power to manifest innumerable transcendental bodies to go to innumerable places to help innumerable people, all at the same time, without the need to take an airplane or spend any money or effort.


While sitting here and giving a lecture, we can manifest as transcendental bodies to go out to save people. Isn't that great? Some people can stop their heartbeat, turning a natural process into a controllable action, and we already think they are great.


Not everyone can do that. Not every yogi can do that. We already think that they are great. Then those who have innumerable transcendental bodies and are capable of saving beings in Heaven and hell are obviously great. I want everyone to know about this news. We can do it, as long as we learn it.


It is not impossible. We ourselves still have many inconceivable powers. We only need to put in some effort to dig them out, then we can use them. So, you see, attaining Buddhahood is nothing mysterious. We only need to learn it, like learning to stop our heartbeat or control our breath for a short time. Some people can do it.


We can also do it. Some yogis can stop their breath and heartbeat for a long time, several weeks or months. People can bury them for a long time and nothing happens. When the time is up, someone has to dig up and retrieve his body, give him a massage, take care of him, or tap him on the body or rub a certain acupunctural point and then he will wake up, stand up, and walk around, eat, drink and make merry just the same as before.


It was said that Jesus Christ, after his so-called death, came back again. I think it is because he went to India and learned the method of feigning death. Yes, faking death. Although he fainted after his body was injured, he didn't die.


When the time was right, he came out and went back to India where he continued to teach people in Kashmir. He passed away at the age of 120. When I went to Kashmir, I could still see the tomb, his grave. They guarded the place very strictly and did not allow people to casually enter.


At that time, I didn't know where my sincerity came from, but Jesus let me in. I went in to take a look and meditated there for a while before someone came and asked me to leave. Only then did I know that I was not supposed to go in.


His name was inscribed in that place, “Youza Asouph,” in the Kashmiri language, meaning Jesus. In Tibet, his history was also recorded. In Tibet, his name was Issa. Have you read the book? (The Lost Years of Jesus.) The Lost Years of Jesus. Have you? Has anyone read it? Yes. The book mentions that he had been to Tibet. In Tibet, his name was different. Could be Issa or…. But upon hearing it, you know it means Jesus, right? In Kashmir, I heard his name again,Issa. Hearing the name, we know it is Jesus, right?


So, in India Buddha's name is Shakyamuni, but here we call him Buddha. If we do not understand Sanskrit, we won't understand the name. But if we do understand it, our pronunciation is very close.


Some names are even more distorted. For example, when Shakyamuni Buddha was alive, Quan Yin Bodhisattva's Indian name was Avalokitesvara. That is not very long yet. In Âu Lạc (Vietnam), it became “A lị da bạ lô chê ti thất phật ra lăng đạ bà.”


This is Quan Yin Bodhisattva's name in Aulacese (Vietnamese). However, if you ask most Aulacese (Vietnamese) people, they do not know that they are reciting Quan Yin Bodhisattva when they recite this. This is in the "Great Mercy Mantra": “Namo arya, valokite-svaraya, Bodhisattva!” This is it! This is Namo Avalokitesvara. Because we pronounce it out syllable by syllable, it has become so long.


If we pronounce it in Sanskrit quickly with the syllables connected together, it is Avalokitesvara. Some pronounce it as: Ava-lo-ki-ta-sa-ta- ka-sa-ba-la-ba-ba. If one pronounces out all the weak sounds of “kitesvara,” it will become ki-ta-ke-sa-ke.That is a precise literal translation, really very precise.


Quan Yin Bodhisattva has no idea whose name they are chanting. That is why their chanting does not work. I also used to chant it very strenuously. Later, after I went to India and studied the original Sanskrit, I couldn't help laughing at myself.

I finally found out what it really was. That's why I chanted for half a year but Quan Yin Bodhisattva did not understand. Poor Quan Yin Bodhisattva. It is really unfair for us to say that she never answers us.


She does not understand what we humans are saying. Her name became so long and terribly distorted. Probably Jesus Christ had learned the method of stopping heartbeat and breath. That's why he came back three days after his death. When practicing these methods, sometimes we can control it; sometimes we cannot. If we cannot control it, then we need a companion.


He can help us by massaging here, or striking a gong or a drum to wake us up. This method is neither that great nor the ultimate. I just offer this method for your reference so that you understand we have within us many more different abilities that we are not aware of.


Thus, we think our heartbeat is automatic and we are born like that, or our circulation machine functions naturally. It is not! Our subconscious is controlling it. If we can communicate with this subconscious, of course we can stop our heartbeat when we want to. The Buddha Nature is also a hidden power, a forgotten quality.


If we know the method, we can dig it out for our use. It is just like when we know a way to control our subconscious, we can stop the forgotten actions such as our heartbeat and breath. Even our heartbeat and breath that we can observe every day, we still forget, and think that they are naturally this way.


We don't think that we are controlling them, let alone the so-called Buddha Nature, the so-called Kingdom of God, which is invisible and much easier to forget. So, whether there is a God or not, we don't have to debate. We have such a great treasure, such a great power, wouldn't it be a great pity if we did not dig it out to use? (Yes.)


Even if we pray to God, Hes will not dig this out for us. Hes won't! Otherwise, Hes would have done it long ago. Only a living Buddha can do this for us. It is his job. He won't be giving us anything either. He just knows where the button is.


He knows that from the day he presses the button for us, it will start functioning by itself. We will recognize more and more of our dormant quality,that forgotten power of ours. That is why we heard that some people, after practicing for some time, can remember their past lives or they can see other people's past lives.


This is not fortune telling. I am not talking about fortune telling. With fortune telling, we can use our birth date, our birth hour, and our birth year, all combined together, and also the birth places of our parents, to calculate it. It is sometimes also accurate.


Why? It is because our microcosm is related to the macrocosm. The orbiting of the stars and moon is related to our inside. So, fortune telling can also be accurate to a limited extent. However, it is different from what I just mentioned, that, after spiritual practice, we can see our past and future.


We can see what we were in past lives and we can dig out our dormant qualities. Life after life, we have incarnated in different kinds of bodies. Those different kinds of bodies were created by us for our own use, so we can remember very clearly. Whatever we did was done deliberately.


When I say “deliberately,” you may object. You may say that many things we did were not done deliberately. We did not deliberately want to be an animal. We did not deliberately want to be a bad person. It is deliberate. You did it knowingly.


It was deliberate, but also not deliberate. Why was it deliberate? Our true Self did it on purpose; however, our mind was not aware of it. That is why I say “deliberately but not deliberately.”


For example, we snore when we sleep. When people scold us, we say, “No, I did not do it on purpose.” You did it on purpose. If it was not your will, whose will was it? It is your subconscious that likes to snore. It feels good to snore, so it becomes a habit, and you continue. It doesn't cause any problems for itself.


Since it is sleeping, it does not get bothered, so it continues to snore because it feels good with the breathing. Or we may say our heartbeat is not a deliberate action, or “my heart beats automatically, not deliberately.”


It is deliberate. So it is possible to find a way to control it. Why? That is why when we make any mistake, even though we say we did not do it on purpose, we still incur bad karma (retribution). It is because another organ of ours is doing it on purpose.


This is not just my personal opinion. If you study psychology, many scientists or psychologists have proven that our habits or any of the mistakes that we make are deliberately done by our subconscious.


They explain, for example, “One day I made an appointment with a certain person and I don't know why I arrived very late. My car suddenly could not start. When I went out, the bus just left and did not wait for me.” Then the psychologists will tell us that those situations were created by us deliberately.


Their explanation is that, in our heart or our subconscious, we did not like that person whom we had an appointment with. So we generate a response within us that subsequently creates the situation. This is the explanation of the psychologists.


Have you ever heard of this theory? Have you? (Yes.) That is right. Then you are more knowledgeable. The psychologists and scientists have discovered many things resembling those from spiritual practice, but they have only discovered a small part that is more coarse. They have not discovered the very fine, subtle, and mysterious part.


Why? Because the mind has a limit, like a computer. They cannot dig out the parts that are much more subtle, intangible, and invisible, that also cannot be proven. Therefore, the Quan Yin Method that we are learning is not superstition.


I explain everything to you in a scientific way. That's why you like it. Isn't that right? (Yes.) No matter what we believe in or what method we are studying, we must keep an objective mind and a scientific spirit. We must not be superstitious and worship everything or listen to everything.


Some people who practiced a long time, even when immersed in water, they would not drown. This is also nothing great, I am sorry. Some people can walk on fire, very hot fire, or on the coals. Red hot coals are placed on a path and they just walk on them without getting hurt or burnt, without having to chant Quan Yin Bodhisattva.


They are controlling themselves and do not let it happen. Some do not even require spiritual practice. Have you ever been to a circus?


Some performers can walk on a very thin rope or even ride a bicycle on the rope. Right? How can they do it? (Training.) Training! They focus their minds. It is not magical power. The circus performers do not have magical powers. They just train their minds to focus intensely.


Even animals can do it. It just takes training. I hear that horses don't know how to jump, right? Horses don't know how to jump over things. They can only run long distances, back and forth, but they don't know how to jump. However, they can do it after we train them.


Therefore, in equestrian competitions, they put a lot of hurdles up for the horses to jump over. If we did not know that horses do not originally know how to jump, we might not think that it was a big deal.


They just have the horses jump over a tiny hurdle and then everyone claps. It's because horses cannot jump, so training them to jump over obstacles is a great accomplishment. But I think this world is really boring, so people find ways to amuse themselves. Everyone spends a lot of money just to make horses jump here and there in competitions.


If we are so bored, why not practice the Quan Yin Method? After practicing the Quan Yin Method, we will know many greater things and then we won't be so bored. Everyone watches the horses jump and then applauds.


Then another horse jumps over it, “Wow!” They waste the whole day watching the horses. The spectators only waste one day; the trainers, much more. They get a lot of good and costly food for the horses. Isn't that right? (Yes.)


They put in so much money and effort to build a huge auditorium for the equestrian competition, don't they? The best place with the best grass, the most expensive land for the horses to jump on. It is a topsy-turvy world. It is so difficult for us to build a temple. Without a permit or suitable land, it cannot be built. But you know the land in Formosa (Taiwan) is very expensive and scarce.


It is very difficult to build a temple, but it is not that difficult to build an arena for horses to jump around in, because people are bored. There are few enjoyable things in the world, I can understand that. If everyone saves their precious time and money to practice the Quan Yin Method, they can see more incredible, marvelous, and interesting things by themselves at home. At that time, we don't need to put in so much money, effort and time.


Of course, people who do not practice the Quan Yin Method will be skeptical. They will not believe me easily. How can there be such a good method, without spending time and money, without going to the Himalayas for retreats, or leaving your husband or wife, forsaking your job, or making any offerings? Of course, it is too hard to believe. Right? (Yes.)


Since it is too hard to believe, you should, because this person is not asking for money or anything, hence she has no reason to cheat us. Is that not true? There must be a motive for anyone to cheat us.


For example, he wants our money, he wants us to work for him, to support him or to expand his organization, right? I do not want any of these. I also don't want money.


Since I am so strict, I definitely do not want to attract many people. If I wanted many people to come, my rules would not be so strict. Not everyone can come because our place is not meant for worshipping but for meditation. It is not an activity center. Meditation means sitting in silence. We do not chat, nor receive and entertain guests. We are more strict. If I really want a lot of people to come in order to become famous and have a lot of people, I would not have such strict rules.


I am encouraging you to practice. New spiritual practitioners need a kind of fence to protect the purity of our actions, speech, and thoughts. Without some strict rules, we tend to slack off. We'd become disciples by just casually coming to pay respect to the teacher, joining the group, and offering some money. How could it be so simple?


If we truly want to dig out this dormant power to use, to have innumerable transcendental bodies, to become omnipresent and omnipotent, offering money and getting an ordained name is not enough. Isn't that right? (Yes.) //So, our method of spiritual practice is certainly different from others. Since it's so different, why do people still like it so much? //Because we have results, immediate results, and then more and more results.


If a fruit tree bears a lot of fruit, then we know that it is a good tree. Is that not so? If we taste one of the fruits and it is very sweet, then we know that the fruits are good. Don't we? No need to advertise; we will keep buying them.


We eat more and more, and we buy more and more. That is why we have more and more fellow initiates. This proves that our method bears fruit.


The truth is the truth. Like a fruit, if it is sweet, then it is sweet. People can tell you that the fruit is not sweet, “It is not sweet! Why don't you believe me? It is sour!” But you keep eating and you would not hear what he said because it tastes too good.If someone sees you eating so heartily, he will also join you.


When another person comes along and sees you eating, he will know it is delicious, right? If it were not good, there wouldn't be a big crowd of people wanting to buy. So, the truth is the truth. A method that can be proven is a proven method. No one can change that.

pray for your blessings so they can have their wisdom openedand be able to study well and practice spiritually at the same time? What should they do?

It is very difficult. //I can teach you a convenient method.// If you want to have peace and to feel more comfortable physically and mentally, you may follow my instructions to practice. //You still need to be vegetarian// as much as possible. However，this method is not the ultimate one and it's not too good either. You cannot become a Buddha， or have innumerable transcendental bodies and the almighty power to help sentient beings.

But it can give you some peace of mindand make you a little smarter. That's all.

Master, Quan Yin Bodhisattva vowed to rescue suffering people upon hearing their prayers. So is there any relationship between compassion and a solemn vow?



Yes，they are related. Inherently，a person has compassion so，of course，we can tell his compassion from his vow. However，the Quan Yin Bodhisattva had practiced for eons. She was originally an ancient Buddha,

not just a Bodhisattva， but She manifested as a Bodhisattva to get closer to people. A Buddha is in a higher level of Nirvana (the highest paradise). A Bodhisattva is closer to sentient beings, a grade lower. She made the vow to deliver sentient beings while she was living. After passing away, she is now in the higher realm. If we have seen her in our previous lives, perhaps several thousand or several hundred years ago when her incarnation was in this world saving people, if we saw her in person or listened to one of her lectures or heard about her name，then when we pray to her now at home or call her name, we might have some response. //However，it is not much help because she has left this world.// Her work in this world has been completed. She is not doing the work for this world anymore. If we truly want to pray to her，we should go to where she is living now to talk to her，or at least connect a “telephone line” from here to up there. After the line is connected, you may talk to her and she will understand what you are talking about. Otherwise，every day we pray for help from the Quan Yin Bodhisattva but there is no response, very little response， right? Very rarely，right? That is why we are still suffering，because there is no response. Not that the Bodhisattva is not responding but our prayers are ineffective because we do not have affinity with her. We didn't see her when she was living in the world. Now，even when her transcendental body returns，we will not recognize her. Therefore，we are not connected to her and have no relationship.

Master， what is a Buddha? If humans have the Buddha Nature, then why are they still doing bad things?

I have told you: //they knowingly do it on purpose.// //We humanshave the Buddha Nature, but we have not dug it out to use.// For instance，we can control our heart， but we have not learned the method to control it. We can stop our breathing, but we have not learned the method to stop it, so we cannot do it. Our parents have left money in the bank for us, but we don't know where the bank is. How can we get the money? It is as if we don't have any money.



Hallo，Master. Why do people say that authentic Buddhists should worship past Buddhas with incense?

Perhaps they think we should pay respect to the past Buddhas. We cannot say this is wrong. //It is good that we respect the past masters， but it is even better to find a living master. //

Master，I have decided to get initiation from you and to practice the Quan Yin Method, but my mother stands in the way. I feel very frustrated. Please give me advice.

I don't know why your mother is blocking you. Communicate with your mother to find out why. If she thinks the vegetarian diet is not nutritious enough for you, tell her that horses, elephants and cows are all vegetarians. They are very big and strong.

If she thinks the vegetarian diet is against tradition, tell her that it is a tradition in Formosa (Taiwan) that when parents are sick or have passed away, we pledge to be vegetarian for one or two months to forward the merits to them，right? So，if you become a vegetarian for life, won't your parents have even more merits? This is very much in accordance with our tradition in Formosa (Taiwan).

So explain to her clearly regarding the areas of her concern. Read my book “Why Should We Be Vegan?” There is also an audiotape of the same title, spoken in the Formosan (Taiwanese) dialect. Listen to it with your mother, so she can understand.



Venerable Master Ching Hai, is Buddha constantly by our side taking care of us?

Yes，but he is sleeping. He is by our side, but he is sleeping. We cannot wake him up. Only one person can awaken him. Who? (Master!) //If you follow me to practice the Quan Yin Method, I guarantee that you will be aware of him staying with you all the time，every day.// I promise you.

You will be aware of it yourself. Fellow initiates， do you agree? (Yes.) Yes.



Master，I once heard you say that merit was good karma (retribution) if we could not achieve “giving without giving.” However，I like to give to charity. In that case，will I have to come back and reincarnate? If，after making a donation, I have the mentality of “I am the one giving,” is it still better than not doing it at all?

Of course it is better than not doing it at all.

What I mean is， you shouldn't expect anything in return. If you want anything in return，you will have to reincarnate to enjoy the blessed reward. While enjoying the blessed reward, you might incur new bad karma (retribution) at the same time. For example， we were good people and have helped others, coming back to this life, we become wealthy officials. However，since we have the position as an official， sometimes we unknowingly… Suppose we are a judge, and unknowingly or unintentionally sentence a person wrongly. This wrong judgment could negatively impact our position, or we could be affected by this bad karma. Or，some people might tempt us and bribe us. When it is exposed later, we will be in bigger trouble. This is how things are. //It would be better that you do not expect anything in return when you give to charity.// If you want something in return, you'll have to come back to enjoy the reward. When we come back it could be agonizing sometimes. That is all. People who want to be liberated from birth and death should make donations anonymously. After giving alms forget it quickly，and do not pray for anything in return. Should you still want to come back, then it is all right. When I said the blessed reward from doing charity was good karma (retribution)，I was talking to those who are more enlightened and who want to be liberated from birth and death. For ordinary people who have no wish to be liberated，of course they should give more to charity，so they will be more comfortable and wealthier， with less suffering in their next life.

Master, when ignorant ideas or bad habits emerge, should we let them continue or try to suppress them?

Suppress them if you can by chanting the Buddha's name or mantras， or control them with positive thoughts.

Master， if a person practices sincerely after initiation, but due to his family situation, he cannot join Master at the seven-day retreats often can only practice at home, when encountering problems in spiritual practice or during meditation that he cannot resolve, would Master come to teach him in his dreams in a transcendental body?

Of course I will. This is my job.

Master， during meditation my body wavers and my hands perform mudras. Is this normal? How can I overcome this? Please advise me.

It's not normal.

However，if you do not pay attention to it, it will go away after some time.

Just practice more. It will disappear later.

The hand mudra is also nothing special. There are many so-called vital force currents inside our body. When we meditate, they may sometimes vibrate within us，then project out to become a kind of natural action. If we just treat it as an exercise, then it is okay. However，five minutes of exercise is enough. We are practicing meditation, not movements.

Many people think that hand mudras are amazing. They do not know that it is just a minor low-level movement. It is nothing. //Don't be attached to it. If you do，you might become possessed.//

Master，if I meet several good masters with each practicing a different method， how do I decide on which one to practice?

Congratulations. You may choose one by playing rock， paper，scissor to decide. Like this， “One，two，three!” Whoever beats you can be your master.

We should observe and then choose one who is good for us. We have to make a decision. Not every teacher can be your teacher. Suppose you want to learn English, then you cannot choose a mathematics teacher or a teacher who teaches French. //You should be clear about your objectives,// then you'll know which teacher matches your requirements. Suppose you want to be liberated from birth and death, you should ask the teacher whether he has been liberated or not. If he has，can he also lead you to liberation? If he can promise to do so，then he is okay. If he cannot promise，go and find someone else.



Is the so-called enlightenment and the “realization of the Tao” in Taoism referring to the same thing?

Yes, they are the same thing.



Master，four years ago， I suffered from tinnitus and thus became a vegetarian. Will Master please tell me why I behaved in such a way?



Becoming a vegetarian is good. Some people who don't have tinnitus lso become vegetarians. The cows and horses are also vegetarian without behaving in certain manners.

It is very good to be a vegetarian. It is not because of the tinnitus.



Master，is there only pain in living and liberation in death?

Not necessarily. We do suffer when we are living, //but it could be even worse after death.// Many people do not know this fact. That's why when I ask them to practice spiritually, they don't know why. I advise them to be vegetarian and meditate, but they don't understand what for. It is because we need to take care of our situation after death. If we eat a piece of meat, later when we go down, the Yama King (King of Hell) will ask for such a big piece. We will be cut over and over again, hundreds and thousands of times, because we have to repay the consequence of that piece of meat. //Good causes produce lots of good results. Bad causes also produce lots of bad results.// Suppose we have planted an orange seed， every year it will yield hundreds or thousands of oranges. If we grow a poisonous plant, every year it will also yield lots of poisonous seeds. Don't think that after living for 100 years, we will die and then become liberated. How can you be liberated?

Most people do not practice spiritually. When they die， they have no wisdom and are tricked by their bad karma (retribution) and habits, which drag them to very dark places. Such dark places are what we call the world

of the Yama King (King of Hell). He has a mirror there. Standing before it, all our causality from many lives appears like a television show. We have no way to defend ourselves. There are no lawyers; they are not needed. In this world, we can lie to people, we can do bad things without being seen，and we can simply deny it, or sometimes the lawyers can change it to the opposite. Money can change many things. However，when we go to the Yama King's (King of Hell's) place, his mirror shows everything very clearly. We cannot deny the things we have done. Both good and bad deeds are all displayed very clearly，clearer than we can remember. Only when we see it, do we remember, “That year I did such evil things.” So fiercely accurate! //So，while living, if we do not practice a good method or follow a powerful enlightened master, when we die no one can accompany us or say anything to defend us, no one can shoulder our bad karma (retribution),// no one will treat us courteously. We each have to go our own separate ways. No husband， wife，parent，or child can shoulder any responsibilities for us. We are absolutely alone. //If you practice the Quan Yin Method, I will accompany you.// No one else will.



Master, the deities worshipped in Luan Tang interpret Buddha's teachings and heal people through a medium. Why?

Why? Because it is their mission. This is their job.

Master，after practicing the Quan Yin Method, will our careers become smoother and our kids more obedient?

No.

//Spiritual practitioners shouldn't have this mindset.// If you want to make your kids obedient and your business prosper, go learn from the sorcerers. They can use magical power to inscribe many incantations， which can be burnt and drunk by the kids, or can be hung at your place of business to attract customers. We are not that kind.



Master， is spiritual practice limited to a certain “better” religion?

No，it is not necessary. According to my knowledge and experience, all religions are quite good already. //It is the inner visions mentioned by the religions that we should be looking for.//

For example，all radio stations are good.

You give them money and they will advertise your cookies. They broadcast the same advertisement.

For example something like “Mr. Huang's cookies are the most famous in the world and the best in Formosa (Taiwan). They have the cheapest prices! Buy one get one free!” and so on. All the radio stations broadcast the same way.

We cannot say a certain station is not good. They are all quite good. But what if we want to eat the cookie? Can we just listen to the radio broadcast all day long? //We have to buy the cookies and eat them Ourselves，//right? (Right.) Similarly，I am like the cookie vendor, but I am not selling it; I am offering it for free.

Master，people often say that freeing animals and printing moral books can eliminate bad karma (retribution). However，people are buying animals to set them free. (Yes.) If the freed animals are bought again by someone else, how can this action eliminate bad karma (retribution)?

They are "freeing the animals to death." After being “freed” too many times, the animals will die. It is true. You have asked a very enlightening question, because you already answered it yourself. In the season of “freeing the animals,” many birds are captured. Isn't that right? Many animals are captured just for us to free them. Soon after we let them go into the sky, they are captured again. Some die before they are even freed. So this should be called “freeing to death.” Sometimes， //it is better to do things in a natural way.// When it's intentional, it becomes different. People take advantage of our kindness and turn it into a business. However，what should I tell you to do? Tell you to free them or not to free them? Make your own decision; just be natural. I have told you that no matter how many you've freed， it is never good enough. Why? All the fish，pigs， and chickens that you eat are inside you. So，where do you set the animals free? //The best way to free animals and to earn the most blessed reward is to become vegetarian for life. // If everyone becomes vegetarian，no animals will be killed. This way，we are freeing innumerable animals. If we stay vegetarian for life，we are freeing thousands of fish， thousands of shrimps,

hundreds of chickens, pigeons，pigs，and cattle. A lot of them. Earthworms. Lots of animals are freed. No need to wait until July to free them. Therefore，my method is the best way. It is true Being vegetarian is the best，the most natural and most effective way to free animals.



Master，due to the nature of his work，he must socialize with clients.

He wants to get initiation, so his question is: If his clients want to invite him for a treat, he doesn't know how to handle it, he wishes Master can tell him what to do.

This is not very difficult. Just like you，I was also a householder before. I went out to work, and I was a vegetarian. At that time， I was not yet practicing the Quan Yin Method. I was just a Buddhist and a vegetarian. Of course，I had to mix with people in my work. It was even more difficult in the West,

but it turned out all right. They all ate vegetarian food with me. My neighbors also came to learn vegetarian cooking from me. Then they requested me to conduct vegetarian cooking classes in the school.

Therefore，//we must be determined and have the ability to stay independent.// Then， people will follow us. Otherwise， we will follow others. We have only two choices: follow the crowd or walk our own way. You must know that most people who follow the crowd are very ordinary. They won't achieve anything. //The most outstanding people are the most independent;// they do not follow the crowd. They are not doing anything wrong. They just have their own ideals and do whatever they want. They are valiant and unafraid of being mocked. If they know this is the right thing to do, they will do it resolutely and thoroughly. These people are often most outstanding and very famous. They often benefit many people， and lead them to follow their good path. Isn't that right? (Yes.) So we should learn to behave like a valiant person. Had Shakyamuni Buddha remained an ordinary prince, had many wives and lots of descendants and enjoyed the world, his name would not have been remembered today. It was because he acted differently. He decided to walk his own way. Thus， we still know his name and venerate him. Almost half of the world worships him even now. It's the same with Jesus Christ. Had he remained an ordinary carpenter his whole life, gotten married and given birth to a carpenter's baby, no one today would have known about Jesus， the carpenter.

It's precisely because he was not an ordinary carpenter: he was seeking a nobler ideal，thus his name has passed down to later generations. Many heroes or capable leaders of countries, because of their independent character and stronger will， different from others and unwilling to follow the tails of others, became great and highly respected by people. It is also fine if we want to be like everyone else. But think about it: why should we make ourselves so ordinary and so boring? Couldn't we do something new? Is there anything wrong with taking a new action? (No.) No. Then change. Try something new. Give it a try.

The Meat Industry: Bad Business， Bad Health

Livestock and fish are constantly threatened by a wide range of diseases. During processing， animal products are often tainted with potentially deadly bacteria and other dangerous contaminants. The outcome is unending hazard to human health through the meat industry. The following are just some of the recent problematic incidents across the globe that has claimed both human and animals' lives.

January 2010: 950 pigs in Denmark found infected with potentially fatal swine flu，which is also transmissible to humans， while 5,500 chickens died of bird flu in Indonesia，and 173,451 poultry birds and 15,453 eggs are destroyed due to incidents involving bird flu outbreaks in Bangladesh， India， and Israel. As a disease with a 50% mortality rate， the 92nd human bird flu case is confirmed in an Egyptian boy.

February 2010: A 29-year-old woman in Egypt dies of bird flu. In Indonesia， Cambodia， and Âu Lạc (Vietnam)， bird flu kills 16,000 ducks and sickens over 30,000 ducks and chickens， with 14,000 more poultry birds killed to prevent the spread of infection. In Sweden，anthrax sickens 90 cattles and a cow in Canada is found to have the highly contagious and always deadly mad cow disease.

March 2010: Bird flu outbreak in Bhutan and Myanmar with 117,000 bird flu-exposed chickens killed to contain the disease in Bangladesh. Shellfish in US and New Zealand recalled for norovirus and other toxic contamination.

January-March 2010: About 4,600 tons of US beef，chicken，pork and other meat products recalled in an effort to safeguard the public from E. coli and Salmonella contamination. Listeria-infected cheese is recalled in Austria， Canada，the US and UK. Four tons of Listeria-exposed salmon recalled in Sweden.

April 2010: In an attempt to contain the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease， 1,471 pigs are killed in China，along with 16,000 cattle and pigs in South Korea， as hundreds of thousands of cattle，pigs，goats， and sheep in Japan die or are killed as an outbreak sparks a nationwide crisis.

May 2010: In Âu Lạc，4 people are diagnosed with infection stemming from blue ear pig disease (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) due to eating pork， with one fatality.

June 2010: In Brazil，148,000 pounds of cooked beef recalled due to the discovery of an animal anti-parasitic drug whose adverse effect on humans is not yet known.

April-June 2010: Salmonella-contaminated cheese and chicken products recalled in Australia and the US， with Salmonella being detected in 80% of chicken meat sold in Moscow，Russia. Listeria-contaminated cheese，pork，and chicken are recalled in the US and Canada， while 135,500 pounds of E. coli-contaminated beef are recalled in the US.

July 2010: In Italy，a 42-year-old woman is hospitalized and succumbs to the fatal human version of mad cow disease.

August 2010: In Indonesia，30 chickens later found to have likely died from bird flu are sold for human consumption. In Âu Lạc，710 pigs with the widely contagious blue ear pig disease are killed. Zimbabwean cattle are discovered to be infected with foot-and-mouth disease. In the US，herring fish is recalled from human consumption for containing toxic spores that cause botulism，a serious paralyzing illness. One million pounds of E. coli-contaminated beef is recalled in the US after at least 7 people are sickened. In the largest such action in US history， over 550 million Salmonella-contaminated eggs are recalled after at least 1,300 people become sickened.

September 2010: A cow in the Netherlands is diagnosed with mad cow disease. In the US，75,000 bags of beef dog treats are recalled due to Salmonella contamination. In Turkey， it was discovered that up to 12 tons of meat or 160,000 Listeria- contaminated hamburgers had been consumed at one restaurant.

November 2010: Another 288,000 eggs are added to the US recall as more are found to be contaminated with Salmonella. Officials in Âu Lạc announce 1,370 foot-and-mouth disease cases.

December 2010: From May through December 2010, 882,660 chickens，ducks， and turkeys are killed to contain outbreaks of bird flu，mostly in Palestine as well as Laos， Âu Lạc， Japan， Canada, and South Korea. A man in Formosa (Taiwan) is thought to have succumbed to the human version of mad cow disease. October-December 2010: Listeria-contaminated fish，cheese，foie gras， and other meat products including pre-packaged sandwiches are recalled as over 4 cases of illness are identified in the US and Canada. Tens of thousands of pounds of E. coli-tainted beef and cheese are recalled in the US as more than 5 people are reported to fall ill. During 2010: In the US alone， more than 27 million pounds of meat and poultry were recalled due to potentially fatal bacterial contamination and adulteration including undeclared allergens， foreign materials， and animal drug abuse. During Japan's foot-and-mouth disease epidemic from April through August 2010， an estimated 290,000 cows succumbed to illness，with hundreds of thousands more cows，pigs，etc. ordered to be killed.

January 2011: In South Korea， over 2 million livestock animals were put to death due to foot-and-mouth disease since November 2010 along with 4,700 livestock farms that closed in Germany due to toxic dioxin found in animal feed. Agents known as prions that cause fatal afflictions such as mad cow disease are found to be transmissible not only through infected meat but also via air and milk， increasing their lethal risk to animals and potentially humans. The H1N1 swine flu worldwide epidemic that